Whittle, Sir Frank (1907-1996), became one of the leading pioneers in the development of the turbojet engine. His company, Power Jets Ltd., produced the Whittle engine, which powered the United Kingdom’s first jet plane in 1941. It became the model for the first United States turbojets. See Jet propulsion (Turbojet) .
Whittle was born on June 1, 1907, in Coventry, England, the son of an inventor. He entered Leamington College on a scholarship at the age of 11, and joined the Royal Air Force at 16. Whittle distinguished himself in a mechanics course and was assigned to officers’ flight training. He became interested in light turbine engines and received his first patent in 1930 after the Air Ministry rejected his jet engine proposals. Whittle’s basic patents lapsed in 1935 because he did not have enough money to pay patent fees. Later that year, a group of engineers became interested in his work and, with the government and Whittle, formed Power Jets Ltd., to produce engines. Whittle was knighted in 1948. He died on Aug. 8, 1996.
